


The Transfer

by kel_isintrouble



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Some angst, Tutoring, kind of enemies to lovers?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-15
Updated: 2020-09-03
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:40:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25923769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kel_isintrouble/pseuds/kel_isintrouble
Summary: Kelli grew up in America, but her dad recently got a job at the Ministry of Magic in London. Now transferring to Hogwarts for her fifth year, she meets a range of new friends...and can't seem to stop running into a certain blonde prefect.~This is canon divergent, so please do not expect it to line up with the canon storyline! There are some references to it though~Reader insert with very little physical description (really just being shorter than some other characters) and feminine qualities
Relationships: Draco Malfoy/Reader, Draco Malfoy/You
Comments: 3
Kudos: 25





	1. 1

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is...a little slow. But it's necessary background! I promise it picks up soon. If any chapter warnings are necessary, they'll be at the END of the chapter as I don't want to spoil anything (none for this one though).

You didn’t think moving across an entire ocean would be too difficult. But transferring schools? That was terrifying. Making new friends was rarely a hard task for you, but the thought of trying to integrate yourself into a new culture, all while catching up on your studies and attempting new friendships - it was almost more than you could bear. When your dad got his new job with the Ministry in London, he sat you and your younger sister down to have a full discussion about the move. He was always putting his family first, but you both knew how much he was hurting living in the same place your mother had died three years prior. And your family was struggling a bit financially. With this new position came a fresh start for all of you, and you couldn't say no to that.

Which is how you found yourself standing in Kings Cross Station, trying to figure out where exactly Platform 9 ¾ is. Your father assured you that you’d see other witches or wizards and could simply follow them once you did. “Don’t worry sweetheart,” he cooed, “you’ll find your way.”

Your sister, Leah, was sulking nearby. Being only 10, she wasn’t able to attend Hogwarts yet, though she wanted nothing more. Both of you perked up when you heard an owl screeching nearby.

“Oh, shut up,” said the young man pushing a trolley. He couldn’t have been much older than you, and his blue and silver scarf gave away his affiliation to your new school. You watched him intensely as he paused, then ran through a column. Your whole family gasped, the three of you exchanging looks.

“Did you…” Leah started, mouth agape. “Did you see that? That was so cool!”

Your father chuckled. “Yes, Leah, we saw it too. And now it’s time to send off your sister, I think.” Leah once again started sulking, her eyes growing watery. She stepped closer to you, wrapping her arms around your middle and crying into your brand new sweater. Your dad, always the stoic one, watched the two of you with a sad expression.

“I’m gonna miss you, y/n,” Leah sobbed. “Write me all the time, please.”

Choking back tears of your own, you replied, “of course, Leah. I’ll write to you as often as I can.” You looked up at your dad before leaning down and whispering. “Look after the old man for me, okay?” She nodded and pulled back, wiping the tears as she did so.

“We’ll see you soon, kiddo,” was all you got from your dad before a bone-crushing hug and a push towards the column that other boy had disappeared into minutes before. You grabbed your luggage cart and started pushing, turning around briefly to wave goodbye. In that moment, of course, someone walked into your path and your carts collided. 

“Watch where you’re going,” a blonde boy spat, looking you up and down before sneering and walking swiftly into the brick column.

You stared daggers at his tall, black-swathed back, praying not all Hogwarts students would be as rude as him. After a moment, you followed, jogging towards the column and bracing for impact...but finding only that your scenery had changed slightly. A black train with the words “Hogwarts Express” was now in front of you, and the platform was bustling with families and students loading their luggage and finding their friends. At least you knew you were in the right place.

The blonde boy you’d seen before was swaggering onto the train with two other boys, a couple of younger girls watching them very closely, giggling as the shortest boy in the trio winked at them.  _ Disgusting,  _ you thought. But at least boys don’t change much overseas.

Eventually, you found your way onto the train, looking for an empty compartment. It didn’t take much walking to find one, though you were sure you wouldn’t be alone for too long. You got out your book (your father was big on making sure you knew something about no-maj culture, so it was a cheesy romance written by one of them), and not ten pages into the story, a couple of younger students asked if they could sit with you. You smiled, telling them it was alright, and the three of you sat in comfortable silence for most of the ride.

When you did finally arrive, you followed the older students into carriages pulled by strange-looking creatures. Almost like horses, but slightly reptilian and, honestly, scary. No one else seemed disturbed however, so you continued to keep your head down until you were walking into the castle.

“l/n?” An older woman called, scanning the crowds of students. “y/n l/n, would you please come over here?” You stopped short, causing a slight traffic jam, before pushing through the crowd to the woman you could only assume was a professor at Hogwarts.

“Ah, there you are. I am Professor McGonagall. How was your trip?”

“Pleasure to meet you, Professor,” you said, trying to keep a confident air about you despite the nerves gnawing at your stomach. “The trip was lovely.”

“Wonderful. Now, you are to stand with the first-years and get sorted into your Hogwarts house with them. You’ll be going first. Understood?”

“Yes, Professor,” you nodded as you spoke before walking over to the group of students McGonagall had indicated as first years.

After five or so minutes of standing awkwardly, your group was called into the great hall. Despite your nerves, you couldn’t help but marvel at the grandiose hall as you entered. Your eyes found McGonagall, who nodded at you briefly, before beginning the sorting hat ceremony.

Your name was, as she’d said, called first. The hat just barely touched your head when it yelled “ _ HUFFLEPUFF!”.  _ Relieved it was over so quickly, you found the table of students applauding wildly and joined them. Sat at the end were two girls, one blonde and the other with reddish/brunette hair, who were looking at you kindly. Everyone at the table murmured a hello, but were soon watching the rest of the ceremony. You zoned out, only paying attention enough to clap when a first-year was put into your house. After the ceremony was over, the headmaster stood up to give a speech.

You were still not totally paying attention. You knew Dumbledore was the headmaster here already. He was interrupted by a small woman adorned in pink, whose voice made you cringe. She was, you gathered, the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. When the professors were finished introducing the new year, it was finally time for the feast. As you piled food onto your plate, the two girls you’d taken note of when you sat down decided to introduce themselves.

“Hi,” the blonde one said, “My name’s Hannah, I’m one of the prefects. This is Susan. You’re the transfer, right?”

“Yeah,” you replied. “Y/N. Fifth year.”

“Nice,” Susan said, shooting you a smile, “us as well. I wonder if we’ll have any lessons together.”

The three of you chatted amicably over dinner about which lessons you were all taking (you had elected to take Care of Magical Creatures), and after closing sentiments you walked to the Hufflepuff common room together. Once inside, they gave you a moment to take in the coziness of the round room before introducing you to fellow fifth-year students Ernie Macmillan and Justin Finch-Fletchley.

After about an hour, you spoke up. “No offense, guys, but I’m exhausted.”

“Me too. Let’s get to bed so we’re all set for our first day tomorrow, yeah?” Hannah said, looking as though her eyes were about to close.

* * *

The next morning, you went with Hannah and Susan to breakfast, anticipating your timetables. “Um...y/n?” Susan questioned, “how many cups of coffee is that?”

You laughed and took another sip. “This would be cup number...three?”

Hannah and Susan exchanged astonished glances before Susan hesitantly said, “isn’t that too many? You don’t want to do too much on your first day.”

“I’ll be alright, don’t worry! I always drink a lot of coffee.” Though they both still looked skeptical, their concerns were interrupted by Pomona Sprout, the Hufflepuff Head of House, coming around to hand out your schedules. The three of you had your core classes together, as expected, but were taking separate elective classes.

“Looks like we’re starting off the semester with Herbology! Not too bad.” Hannah grinned. Once you were all dismissed from the meal (after you had about four cups of coffee), the girls led you to the greenhouse for your first lesson.

By lunch, you realized that though Ilvermorny was a top-tier wizarding school, Hogwarts was much different and you would definitely have a bit of catching up to do. Care of Magical Creatures was already your favorite subject, despite it being the first day.

“Potions next…” Susan groaned. “I hate that class.”

“You only hate it because of the professor.” Hannah teased, looking around to make sure the person in question was nowhere nearby. When she was sure the coast was clear, she turned to you. “Professor Snape knows his potions, but he is quite an arse. Head of Slytherin, and all that. Best to try to get - and stay - on his good side if you can.”

“Noted,” you replied, suddenly very nervous about potions class.

“Don’t worry. We’ll be there with you. And it’s the first day, how bad could it possibly be?”

As it turns out, Hannah was right. Professor Snape was surely cold, but the first day seemed to go just fine. You and your peers were exhausted when you got back to your common room after classes. “At this point, I don’t even want to go to dinner.” You buried your head in a pillow. “Can we just sleep all night?”

Ernie, who must’ve come in while you were groaning into a pillow, laughed at you. “It’s only the first day! Liven up. Are you going to try out for Quidditch? Or the dueling team?”

You glared at him briefly, then sighed. “I was seeker back at Ilvermorny. I’d thought about going out for the position here too.”

“We could likely use the help,” Ernie winked, “the team isn’t doing so well.”

You looked at him, slightly encouraged. “Alright. I’ll try, at least. What could it hurt?”

After your first day, the next two weeks of classes flew by, and before you knew it, Quidditch tryouts were upon you. Your friends had come to cheer you on despite how chilly the day was. You were on the pitch with about ten other Hufflepuff hopefuls, as well as the team captain. She was a rather average-looking girl, but you could tell from the way she held herself that she would be a fierce competitor and likely a good captain.

“Remember, everyone, that a position on the team last year does  _ not _ guarantee you a position this year.” She stared down some of the others present. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.”

Tryouts took longer than you’d thought, but you were glad to see that Hannah, Susan, and Ernie had stayed to watch the whole time. By the end of the morning, you found out that there was one other student hoping for seeker, and that your captain was a beater. She was good, really good, not only at the game but also at leading.

“Ok, and our seeker this year…” Maggie, the captain, looked between you and the boy you’d been up against for the position, “l/n. Welcome to the team!”

Though you tried to contain yourself, you let out a little squeal of delight as she tossed you your official team sweater. Your friends didn’t hold back when you got to them, the girls hugging you and jumping while Ernie just looked on, clearly very amused by this show of affection. You stuck your tongue out at him only to receive a laugh in return.


	2. 2

The next month or so of school flew by in a flurry of classes, practice, and homework. When you could, you would hang out in the common room with Hannah, Susan, Ernie, and Justin, who had finally warmed up to you. However, life at Hogwarts was getting kind of tense. Umbridge, the new Ministry-appointed DADA teacher, was wreaking havoc and it was only getting worse. It was clear that the Ministry didn’t trust Dumbledore or the infamous Harry Potter, who you’d run into a couple of times, though you had yet to speak to each other. It didn’t make sense for the Ministry to be so distrusting; Voldemort had been defeated the summer before, after the TriWizard Tournament. You heard, from Hannah, about a secret group being formed so the students could actually learn to defend themselves - something the Ministry had shown they didn’t care about. With your dad working for them, you just weren’t sure if you were ready to risk this secret - though you did swear to keep it a secret.

“Are you ready for your first match tomorrow, l/n?” Your teammate, Andrew, a sixth-year, flopped onto the couch across from you. “You’ve been stellar in practice, but there’s nothing quite like the game day nerves.”

“I was born ready.” You threw him a serious look, bursting into giggles afterwards. You never could keep a straight face around him. Tall and all lean muscle, the keeper for the Hufflepuff team was very easy to look at.

“Alright, alright.” He rolled his eyes at your quip.

“I’m kidding. I’m a little nervous, but it’s not like I’ve never played a match before. It’ll be fine.” You smiled, and he smiled back.

“You’ll do great, kiddo.” Andrew stood up as he said this, ruffling your hair on his way past. “Get some rest!”

You huffed at him calling you ‘kiddo’, but you knew that he was right. If you wanted to be at your best for tomorrow, a good night's sleep was essential, so you bid goodnight to your friends before flopping into your bed and drifting into a peaceful slumber.

The next morning, you awoke a little earlier than usual. Being a morning person, you decided this meant you should get up and take a quick stroll around the grounds before breakfast, despite the chilly weather. You just hoped you wouldn’t run into Peeves - last time he had made up a nasty song about you.

Humming to yourself as you walked in the sunshine, you got lost in your own little world. This happened often, but usually didn’t cause a problem. However, you weren’t the only one not paying attention this morning. Your gaze caught by the scenery, you didn’t even see the boy until you collided with his chest. His hands grabbed your arms in an attempt to steady you.

“I’m so sorry!” You blurted. When you looked into his face, you saw that it was the same person you’d crashed into at the train station. Up close, you noticed his eyes were a beautiful gray color.

“Watch where you’re going next time,” he muttered, releasing his hold on your arms.

You bristled, not liking his tone. “Maybe you should start watching where you’re going too.”

He’d started walking away, but turned back slowly at your outburst. ‘ _Shit, maybe I shouldn’t have said that_ ’ is all you could think as the tall, pale guy stalked closer to you, causing you to walk backwards into the wall.

“You,” he spat, “can _not_ talk to me like that.” His arms caged you against the wall, your heart pounding. You were sure he could hear it; how could he not? But he didn’t say anything about it. He backed up, looked you up and down once, then again, and smirked before turning away and walking out of view.

You weren’t sure exactly how long you stood there, pressed against the wall. Eventually, your stomach growled and you remembered that breakfast would probably be smart. Today was not the day you needed to be this distracted. And by what, some rude guy getting all up in your space? You felt pathetic.

When you finally arrived at breakfast, everyone else was already there, including the mysterious blonde boy from earlier. You didn’t dare look, but had a feeling he was watching you. Hannah, Susan, Ernie, and Justin were all watching you, waiting to interrogate you the moment you sat down.

“Where the hell were you?” Susan demanded. “You were gone when we woke up, and now you’re late for breakfast?”

“I just went for a walk,” you replied, shooting the group a smile that you were praying was convincing. “Lost track of time.”

The girls didn’t look convinced, and you could tell they wanted to ask more questions, but Justin started rambling about duelling. Thank goodness boys are oblivious. You took the time your thoughts weren’t needed in the conversation to peek at the Slytherin table. It wasn’t hard for you to guess the boy would be in that house. Sure enough, he was sitting there, with those boys you’d seen him with on the train and a girl sitting awfully close to him. Curiosity overtaking you, you leaned over to Hannah and whispered. “Who is that?”

She looked at you, then subtly followed your gaze. “Ugh. That’s Draco Malfoy and his goons Crabbe and Goyle. They’re vile. And of _course_ Malfoy is a prefect this year.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “Why? Did something happen? Were you being harassed?”

“No,” you said, too quickly. “No. I just...ran into the blonde one this morning. He was a little rude, but he didn’t attack me.” The way Hannah looked at you after you said this made you sure she knew you weren’t telling the whole truth, but she didn’t pry. You were sure she would, but most likely after the match. You could tell your friends didn’t want you to be distracted, something which you appreciated very much.

* * *

Today’s Quidditch match was against Slytherin. As your team flew out onto the field, you saw him; Draco Malfoy. The Slytherin seeker. Of course. Internally, you rolled your eyes, but you tried to keep a hard exterior. He could not get the best of you again. Not twice in one day. The two of you took your spots as the match started, watching for the golden snitch.You didn’t dare get too close to him, nervous of the effect he would have on you.

A ways into the game, you noticed Malfoy straighten up, as if he was watching something. _The snitch._ You watched him, finding the snitch from his gaze and diving after it. He swore, then dove after you. As the two of you raced side by side to get the snitch you were disgustingly aware of how close he was. Putting those thoughts to the side, you leaned further into your broom, hoping that your smaller size would get you to the snitch first. After a few minutes of sharp turns and drops, you were mere inches from it - and in front of Malfoy. You reached out, stretching as far as you could. Finally, your fingers found the small, golden snitch and you gripped it tightly, throwing your fist in the air in celebration. Hufflepuff had won! You flew back to the ground, meeting your teammates in a group hug. Hannah and Susan were yelling your name from the stands, waving their Hufflepuff flags.

“Good job, y/n!” Andrew cheered, putting an arm around your shoulders. You blushed at the contact and looked at your feet. When you looked back up, the Slytherin seeker was watching you, face completely unreadable. You nodded, a gesture meant to signal your respect for him. After all, you were neck and neck for most of the chase. Malfoy didn’t respond, simply walking away with the rest of his team.

When you got back to the common room, it seemed the whole house was there waiting to celebrate. “y/n!” Hannah yelled as she and Susan ran over to you and engulfed you in a hug. _These girls are very huggy,_ you thought, smiling and hugging them back nonetheless. “You did so great! You and Malfoy were practically on top of each other.” She giggled at this, then saw your face turn pink. “Oh my god.”

You were pulled away from the crowd suddenly, Hannah and Susan giving each other looks. They were suspicious, you could tell. “What happened? You’re blushing,” Susan whisper-yelled.

“Nothing…” You knew this wasn’t convincing especially when you looked up at their stern faces. “Ok, fine. On my walk this morning I kind of...ran into him. And when he told me to watch out I told him maybe he should too and…” You hesitated here, knowing that it would sound pathetic. “And then he kinda pushed me against the wall and told me not to speak to him like that and then smirked and it was kind of really hot.”

The girls were clearly trying not to laugh. Your sentence had come out so quickly it was hard to believe they’d understood you.

“So...Malfoy was like...actually on top of you?” Hannah said, no longer able to contain her giggles.

“No, he was not. It’s stupid I know, I’m pathetic,” you said, rolling your eyes and starting to laugh at yourself with them.

“Only a little bit!”

“I didn’t know who he was! Now that I do I’m definitely going to steer clear.” Susan and Hannah looked at each other, then back at you with serious faces, nodding, but couldn’t hold it. The three of you laughed for a long time before you decided to go take a nap before dinner.

* * *

You had only planned to nap until dinner, but when you woke it was dark outside. No one was in their beds, so you knew it probably wasn’t too late and decided to check the common room.

“Hey sleepyhead,” Ernie smirked. “Nice nap?”

“Almost magical.” You deadpanned, earning a couple laughs from your friends. “Why didn’t you wake me for dinner?”

“We tried! You were just too out of it. We brought back some food for you though,” Susan said, indicating a small napkin-wrapped parcel on the table.

“Thanks,” you responded with a yawn. You devoured the food they’d brought you, finding that you were still hungry afterwards and not at all tired. Though the common room slowly emptied over the next couple of hours, you stayed, working on your homework until late in the evening. Sometime well after curfew, your stomach was rumbling too much and you knew you needed to visit the kitchens.

Luckily, your common room was very close to the kitchens, and getting there was no issue. Getting in unseen however...you weren’t sure if you would run into any trouble there. Who knew if there were prefects patrolling this late, or Filch. Or, gods forbid, _Peeves_. As you snuck closer to the kitchens, you grew more confident. You didn’t hear anyone else moving about or see anyone until you came out of the kitchens, stolen muffins in hand.

“L/n. What are you doing up so late?” Luckily for you, it was just an older Hufflepuff prefect. She was notoriously easy on students, especially in her own house.

“Marie! I was just…” You were trying to sound innocent as could be. “I was getting food, honestly. I missed dinner today, I just couldn’t stay awake after that match today…”

She smiled slightly and nodded. “I’ll let it pass this time, but if I ever see you out past curfew again there will be consequences.” You nodded in return. “Get back to the common room now, please. We wouldn’t want anyone else seeing you.”

“Thank you, Marie.” You said, walking quickly in the direction of your common room. The rest of your night was uneventful, though you definitely stayed up too late. As you tried to fall asleep that night, visions of a pale blonde invaded your mind. You knew you should stay away from him, and you would certainly try, but something about his presence was too tempting to ignore completely.


	3. 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader is not good at charms.  
> I'm bad at summaries guys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> teeny bit of angst :)

Again, time started to fly. Your time was still taken up by Quidditch and classes, though Defense Against the Dark Arts was considerably lacking. The group Hannah had told you about was more tempting every class you went to. Charms, however, was a subject you were struggling with. You had no issues keeping your grades level in your other classes, but Charms was a constant struggle. It was for this reason that you found yourself talking to Professor Flitwick about some one-on-one lessons.

“I just don’t have the time for that now. I’m sorry.”

“Isn’t there anything I can do? I need to get better,” you pleaded.

“The only option would be a tutor. I can’t say I know who would be free, however.”

“Professor, I will work with anyone. Please.”

Flitwick sighed, giving in. “Fine. I will ask some of the more proficient students if they’re available, Miss l/n.”

“Thank you! Thank you so much!” The professor waved you off, promising an answer for you by your next lesson.

You practically skipped your common room, tapping the correct barrel to enter, and found Susan sitting alone in the corner. “Well hello there, friend,” you greeted as you sat near her. “What’s going on?”

She looked up, clearly stressed, “Just trying to finish this paper for Umbridge. Damn woman doesn’t teach us anything and assigns an essay this long? Ridiculous.”

You rolled your eyes. “She truly is.” Susan laughed, then went back to writing. You decided that maybe getting a start on your assignments would be a good idea, so you joined her. The two of you chatted idly in between assignments, stopping only for dinner. The others joined you after your meal, everyone chatting and attempting their assignments. Sometimes you got so lost in your friendship, you forgot all about school.

The next day, Flitwick kept you after class to discuss tutoring. “You’ll be starting tomorrow, in a largely unused classroom. Does four o’ clock work for you?”

“Yes, Professor. I’ll be there.” Flitwick simply nodded, then wrote down which classroom you were to be meeting your tutor. You didn’t think to ask who it was until you were already halfway to your next lesson, and none of the professors took lateness well. It would just have to be a surprise.

And surprised you were when you walked into the designated classroom and Draco Malfoy was standing there. “Um...hi?”

He turned to you. “I’m waiting for someone,” was all he said before turning back to his parchment.

“Yeah...I’m supposed to be meeting my tutor for Charms. Is that what you’re here for?”

He looked up again, giving you a once over before speaking. “Yes. Why don’t you sit, l/n?”

You rolled your eyes at his condescending tone, but moved to a desk near his anyway. “I’d appreciate it if you didn’t use that tone with me,” you said, taking note of his eye roll as you did. This made you angry, and you stupidly opened your mouth again. “You may be better than me at Charms, but don’t forget that we beat your ass in Quidditch.” This made his demeanor falter, but only for a moment. You couldn’t tell if his mouth twitched towards a frown or a smile.

“Let’s just get on with it. Don’t want to waste too much of my time on a dim-witted Hufflepuff.” You scoffed.

“That’s the best you got?”

His grey eyes pierced into you as he looked at you - really, truly looked at you - for the first time. “You wouldn’t survive my worst, l/n.”

Though you tried not to be intimidated by this, you believed him and backed off with an eye roll. He smirked, again, and started working with you on your assignments for Charms. Surprisingly, he was patient with your mistakes. You guessed this was only so that Flitwick didn’t take points from him for being an ass.

The hour passed without further incident. When it was time to leave, Malfoy just about ran out. Before he could, you called after him. “Wait!”

“What?” He snapped, clearly aggravated to be kept any longer than necessary.

“I just wanted to say thank you. For the tutoring. And not yelling at me during it.”

He laughed humorlessly. “Don’t get used to it.”

As he disappeared through the door and down the corridor, you couldn’t help but smile. He may be a jerk, but you suspected there was a whole lot more going on underneath the surface. Gods, staying away was going to get very difficult.

“I’m sorry, _WHO_ is your tutor?” Hannah said later that night. “Malfoy? I didn’t even know he was that good at charms. And he wasn’t a complete arse the whole time?”

You laughed, “no, surprisingly. But as soon as anything other than work was brought up he went right back to regular old Malfoy. It’s not a big deal guys, it’s just some tutoring.”

“I’m surprised he’s doing it. There must be something in it for him.”

“He can’t just do it to be nice?”

“I don’t know, he could. But with Malfoy? That’s hard to imagine,” Susan responded. Everyone else agreed with her, and since they knew him better you assumed they were right. Still, you couldn’t stop thinking about it.

During classes the next day, you noticed yourself looking for your tutor more. As you were in the same year, you did have a few classes together. He never looked at you, that you saw, and was always with his sidekicks and a girl (whose name you had learned was Pansy Parkinson) who was very clingy. During Potions, you were zoning out as you stared. As if that wasn’t embarrassing enough on its own, this time Malfoy actually looked up. You weren’t sure how long you’d been staring, but once you registered him staring back, your face tinged pink and you looked away. He was smirking, you saw, so you decided that it would be best to stop staring at him. Clearly, it would just boost his already too-large ego.

When the lesson ended - without any further embarrassment - you practically ran into the corridor. You definitely did not want a run-in with Malfoy after that, as you knew he’d just make fun of you for it, so you speed-walked away and kept walking rather aimlessly until you knew you were lost. Though you’d been at Hogwarts for almost two months now, there were many corridors you’d never explored. Apparently, this was one of them.

You could hear footsteps approaching, and as you weren’t sure if you should be there or not, decided to find a place to hide. Luckily, many tapestries in the castle hid small alcoves and this corridor was full of tapestries. It took a few tries, but you finally found a small space where you hid, holding your breath as the footsteps got closer.

It sounded like a couple of students, nothing to worry about, but at this point it would be odd to come out of hiding so you waited until you couldn’t hear their voices anymore. Then you waited a little longer, just to make sure, and stepped out from behind your tapestry. With your head down, you sped in the opposite direction of the voices only to run into something.

“L/n, do you ever watch where you’re fucking going?” Malfoy. Of course.

“I could ask you the same thing, Malfoy. There has to be a reason I never run into anyone else,” you quipped, hoping your voice wasn’t actually shaking as much as you thought.

He hummed and looked into your eyes. It was all you could do not to break eye contact - this guy was _intimidating_ up close. “Where did you come from, anyway? You weren’t there when I turned the corner.”

“If you must know, I was…” you wanted to think of something less lame than ‘hiding’. “...I was just exploring the castle. Found a hidden room.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, right?

Malfoy hummed again. ‘“Show me.”

“No. Why in the world would I?”

“Because I’m a prefect and if you don’t, I’ll take points from Huffelpuff,” he replied, smirking. The jerk knew you wouldn’t lose points over something as menial as a hidden alcove.

“Fine. But I’m _only_ doing this for my house.” You turned, leading him the three feet to your tapestry and pulling it back. Although it was small, the alcove did go into the walls enough that you could easily have fit some pillows or blankets, if you wanted a private study area.

“And what exactly are you planning to do with this discovery?” Malfoy inquired, eyebrow raised.

“Nothing,” you said indignantly.

Again, the blonde boy hummed. It was really starting to get on your nerves. “Well, make sure you’re not sneaking around like this after curfew. You never know what unsavory types are around.” As he said this, he turned towards you again, those gray eyes slowly looking over your body.

“Unsavory types including yourself? From what I’ve heard you’re certainly no golden boy.”

Malfoy seemed surprised, but his usual blank face barely cracked. “I’m certainly no Harry Potter.” The way he said this and moved closer unnerved you. Especially where the two of you were hidden from view...you had no idea what he was capable of. For a moment you just stood there, your breathing coming in ragged.

You broke eye contact first and stepped backwards. “Well now that I’ve shown you this useless room, I suppose it’s time for me to go.” Malfoy had relaxed a little and simply watched as you left, never turning your back on him. Just in case.

This time, you were the one to leave first. It felt kind of good, like a small triumph - until you reached the Hufflepuff common room and started to process what he had said. What did he mean when he said he wasn’t Harry Potter? The way he said it, the way he always seemed to get close to you, made you think maybe he wanted you. Or your body, at least. But no, you were probably just imagining it. He hated you, after all...right? And you had seen him getting on the train - he could get any girl he wanted. He just liked the challenge you presented.

You shook your head, trying to clear any less than appropriate thoughts, and proceeded into the common room. As usual, it was pretty empty. This time of day, many students were still in class. You had a free period, which you chose so that you would have time this semester to catch up to Hogwarts classes. Today, you spent it going over your charms homework and texts. Though Malfoy had been patient in your first session, you weren’t sure if that was a one-time deal. You wanted to be sure that you were improved by next week.

* * *

In the next week, you made a concerted effort to avoid Malfoy. Not that it was really too difficult, since you only saw him in a few classes and at meals. But you had to stop yourself from staring more often than you’d like to admit. You also learned an enchantment to make sure no one else was able to get into your hidden room behind the tapestry unless you gave them the password. Since it was more of a movement, you supposed anyone watching could get in, but you’d been discreet bringing in your stuff. It was where you’d spent a good amount of your weekend outside of Quidditch practice and a trip to Hogsmeade.

“You’re late.” Malfoy announced, not even looking up at you to say it. “Is your grade in Charms not as important to you as Flitwick made it seem?”

You glared at him. “My grade is very important to me, thank you very much. I underestimated the walk. It won’t happen again.”

“It had better not. Let’s get started, l/n. Show me what you’ve been working on.”

Again, Malfoy was surprisingly patient with you as you faltered through the charms you’d been trying to master over the past week. You couldn't help but wonder… “why?”

He stopped mid-sentence at your interruption. “Why...what?”

“Why are you helping me? You clearly don’t like me, and I don’t see what you could possibly be getting out of this.”

“Flitwick asked.”

“I don't believe that’s your only reason.”

“Believe what you’d like, Puff. I don’t give a damn.” You imitated his humming from a few days ago. He looked irritated, but simply asked to continue with the lesson as he had ‘important engagements’ to attend after. For now, you’d let it go.

* * *

A couple days later, you were doing some work in your new hideout. With the twinkly lights and soft textures, the small space was now very inviting and you felt you could sit there for hours. Which you did, until you heard an odd sound go past. You peeked out of your hiding spot carefully and saw a figure speeding towards the girls bathroom that Moaning Myrtle always haunted. As it happened, it was also the room people went to when they needed a good cry.

You sighed, debating whether or not you should follow this person. In the end, you knew you couldn’t ignore someone in need, so you left the room and followed them.

“Hello?” You called into the room. “I’m sorry if you wanted to be alone, but I heard you go past...I just wanted to make sure you were ok.” When there was no answer, you stepped further into the room. A figure was hunched over one of the sinks. “Hey, are you ok?”

He looked up at you, clearly trying to hold back the tears streaming down his face. “Malfoy, I...what’s wrong?”

He laughed bitterly. “Like you care. No one fucking cares.”

“That’s not true.”

He rolled his eyes. “What would you know of it? You have friends who actually give a shit.”

“Yours don’t?”

“Obviously.”

“I think you’re underestimating them.” You took a step closer, reaching out to touch his arm. Malfoy flinched away. “What happened? I promise I want to help.”

“I don’t need your help, l/n. And it’s none of your business.” He straightened, pulling himself together. “If you tell anyone about this, I will end you.”

It was your turn to roll your eyes. “I was just trying to be nice. Maybe you should try it sometime.” As you started to walk out of the bathroom, now livid, Malfoy stopped you.

“Please. Just don’t tell anyone.” His hand was around your wrist now, holding you in place. You looked from it to his face, which had softened slightly, and sighed.

“Fine. But you need to talk to someone.” Wrenching your arm from his grip, you walked out of the room and to your common room - no chance you were letting Malfoy see your hideaway.

Apparently you looked upset when you got there, as Hannah made you sit next to her and demanded to know what happened. “What happened?”

“Nothing, I’m just tired. I was studying for ages.”

“Where? We checked everywhere we could think of. And we’ve been here four years! You’re hardly been here two months,” she said this last bit with a smile, trying to cheer you up.

You laughed quietly. “I found a hiding spot last week. I’ve been studying there most days when I’m not with you or at practice.”

She nodded, as if this was the most normal thing in the world. “Well, for safety sake, you’ll have to tell one of us where this place is. We wouldn’t want anything to happen to you.” Hannah nudged you then, smiling slyly. “So uh...Quidditch. How’s that going?”

“Good…” You looked at her expression, confused. “Am I missing something? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No reason. I just heard a rumor about this guy on the team…”

You straightened. “Which guy? What rumor?”

“Ooh, you’re eager.”

“I just wouldn’t want my teammates to fuck up our reputation is all.”

“Mhmm, I’m sure that’s it.”

“Just tell me,” you laughed, poking Hannah’s side and causing her to giggle as well.

“Ok,” she turned fully towards you. “So what I heard is that Andrew, that sixth year on the team you’re always giggling around, is going to ask you to be his date for the dinner.”

You were sure your mouth hung open. The dinner she was referencing was a new tradition your house was starting; you were all getting together for a private dinner party. It was nothing too special, but you were expected to dress up a little and everyone was allowed to bring a date, if they wanted.

“You’re going to say yes, right?”

“Um...I don’t know.”

Hannah’s eyes went comically wide. “What?”

“Well, yeah, I think he’s cute and all but I just don’t know if I’d want to date him?” You bit your lip, blonde hair pushing itself to the front of your brain. “I might...kind of like someone else.”

“Oh my god! Who?”

“It doesn’t matter, they definitely don’t feel the same way. I just wouldn’t want to lead anyone else on.”

“You’re _sure_ this other person doesn’t feel the same?”

“Yeah. Completely.”

Your friend looked at you intensely for a moment before speaking again. “I still think you should go. With Andrew.” She paused. “If you wanted...I’m going to that secret Defense group tonight. You’re still welcome to join. Maybe it’ll get your mind off of things.”

“I’m in.”

* * *

When the two of you arrived at the Room of Requirement (where the group met), you saw a few familiar faces, but for the most part you didn’t know anyone. You had, of course, heard of Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived - _twice_ \- and defeated the Dark Lord. It only made sense that he would be the one leading this group (which you now knew is called the Defence Association). He was flanked by a redheaded boy and mousy brunette girl who you assumed were Ron and Hermione. No story about Harry was complete without them, it seemed.

“Welcome back, everyone. And welcome to our newest addition,” Harry said, nodding at you. Others turned to smile at you before directing their attention back to Harry, who was demonstrating how to conjure your Patronus.

During the class, you met quite a few new people. Everyone was so kind to you, it was almost hard to believe you weren’t dreaming. You noticed that the redhead by Harry’s side had three siblings in the room; you could tell from the bright hair. The twins, Fred and George, were by far the most entertaining people you’d ever met. And Ginny, their younger sister, was kind and extremely gifted with magic. She helped you a few times as you struggled to conjure your patronus.

“I didn’t know magic could be that exhausting,” you said to Hannah and Ginny as the group disbanded for the day.

Ginny laughed, “it can be intense. But it’s better than learning nothing.”

“Which is exactly what we’re ‘taught’ in class,” Hannah responded. The three of you giggled. It was nice to make a new friend.

“Hi Harry.” Ginny's ears turned slightly pink when she said his name.

“Ginny,” he said, seeming a little bashful himself. “I just came to meet you, Kelli. How did you feel today? I could see your improvement by the end.”

“Oh, yeah, it was really helpful. Couldn’t have figured it out without Ginny. Much better than my Charms tutoring.” You rolled your eyes just thinking about _him_.

“Who’s your tutor?” Asked Ginny.

Hannah couldn’t seem to hold back a judgemental noise as you said it was Malfoy. The other two, and a couple people who’d been standing nearby, stared at you, surprise written on their faces. “What?”

“Why in the world would that rat be tutoring you?”

“Or anyone?”

“He’s no good, Kelli, you should get a new tutor.”

“At this point in the year? I’m sure all the good tutors are booked. He’s surprisingly good at it, and he’s only rude outside of our tutoring sessions.”

“We can help you,” Ginny offered.

“Yeah, we can definitely help you. Cancel your next session. I don’t even know if it’s safe for you.”

At this you had to bite back a laugh. You knew Malfoy wouldn’t hurt you - much - unless you provoked him. What you were more worried about was your awful attraction to him. But even so, you couldn’t resist the allure of getting to spend every Thursday alone in a classroom with him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope someone is enjoying this fic! Also, if anyone has any George or Fred Weasley fic recommendations, please leave a comment with the name & author and if it's on ao3 or Wattpad bc ya girl is in love with them. Have a wonderful day!


	4. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> little bit of angst (this is, after all, enemies to lovers)  
> also language? idk if I should warn for that. but I swear, and so do my characters

You were a little nervous as you walked to meet Malfoy. After seeing him in the state he’d been in the bathroom, you weren’t sure how he’d behave today. Would he pretend it never happened? Maybe he would be nicer. You hadn’t told anyone, after all, and you hoped he’d take it as a sign that he could trust you.

When you walked into the classroom, about five minutes early, it was empty. You weren’t surprised, but with every minute that passed you got more anxious. Finally, about twenty minutes later, Malfoy walked in.

“You’re late,” you admonished as you crossed your arms.

He rolled his eyes. “I have other obligations.”

“Well I’m  _ so  _ sorry for wasting your precious time, Malfoy. Can we get on with it?” Your tutor rolled his eyes again. “You know, if you keep doing that your eyes will get stuck that way.”

“Whatever.” He was clearly in a mood tonight, so you tried to concentrate on learning the charms Hogwarts students had been learning previously - some of which you hadn’t learned yet at Ilvermorny. You were doing fine until Malfoy decided to be overly critical of your technique.

“It would be nice if you actually helped instead of yelling at me.”

“Oh, I’m terribly sorry. Is the Hufflepuff going to cry?” Poking fun at you and your whole house infuriated you even more than his total disregard for you already had.

“I’m not the one who goes running to a haunted bathroom to cry here.” You regretted it as soon as it left your mouth. “I’m sorry, I didn’t -”

“Think,” he finished for you. “Clearly. Seems like a theme for you.”

“Excuse me?” Now you were mad again.

“You’re clearly dumb, with the need for a tutor in  _ Charms _ , for merlins sake. And you’re always running into me.”

“I need a tutor because I haven’t had four years of charms the same way you have, which you’re fully aware of,” you practically yelled, stepping closer to poke his chest. “And I don’t run into you because I don’t think. I run into you because I’m thinking too much.”

He took a step forward, leaving maybe two inches between the two of you. “It’s infuriating, as is most everything you do.”

“Oh, well maybe I just shouldn’t do anything then. Guess I’ll stop wasting your time.”

“Maybe.” He leaned down, whispering in your ear, “if you  _ ever _ waste my time again, you will live to regret it.” Before you could even react, he had backed away and started towards the door. “Oh, and l/n? Don’t come crying to me when you fail your midterms.”

You stood there until you were sure he was gone, then slumped against the wall.  _ Merlin, _ you thought,  _ what happened to him?  _ You always tried to see the best in people, but so far Malfoy hadn’t shown a single good quality. He’d shown he’s human, sure, and has feelings. But the only time he came near being kind was while he was watching you fail at charms - which he probably just enjoyed watching and silently making fun of.

It was official; you could not stand Draco Malfoy.

* * *

Hannah, Susan, Ernie, and a bunch of the DA people were waiting for you in the Great Hall. You walked in absolutely fuming with anger and almost slammed your book down on the table.

“Uh oh,” Ginny laughed, “a Hufflepuff furious? We better watch out.”

“Hilarious,” you deadpanned.

“Shit, tutoring must not have gone well.” Susan observed. “Did he try anything?”

“No, he didn’t He just yelled at me for wasting his time and told me I’m stupid.”

“I’ll kill him,” was Harry’s response. Then again, they already hated him.

“What did he do to you guys that made you dislike him so much? I mean, I know he’s an ass, but it seems like there’s more than that.”

“Well, there’s his general personality. And he thinks he’s better than everyone just because he’s a pureblood. He’s bullied a bunch of kids, including Hermione, about their blood status.”

“That’s disgusting.”

“And his parents were deatheaters,” Hannah whispered, “got put in Azkaban after Voldemort was defeated. Or at least his dad did. His mum might’ve gotten off.”

“She did,” Susan said. “Said she was coerced into it, mostly just did it to protect her son. I think they used veritaserum. But if she or Malfoy step out of line…”

“They’d punish him? He didn’t do anything.”

“They would most likely punish his mom if he did anything too bad. That’s why he hasn’t started anything this year. I think he’s scared.”

“Maybe that’s why he’s tutoring you, Kelli.” Ernie pointed out, mouth full.

“Ugh, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Hannah gagged. “He has a point though.”

“I don’t see how tutoring a ‘helpless dumb American’ is going to help him at all,” you said, paraphrasing the insults he had spewed the day before.

Your friends laughed. “He’s trying to show that he’s not all bad like we think he is. Goes against everything Slytherin,” Susan said, rolling her eyes.

You shot her a little glare. “Aren’t we supposed to be kind and loyal as Hufflepuffs? Not judgmental and stereotyping people?” Everyone rolled their eyes at your comment.

“When they show us they’re not all bad, we’ll believe it. But they have yet to be anything but rude and arrogant.” You didn’t want them to be right, but glancing over at the Slytherin table, you saw them all snickering and it looked like they were making fun of someone. Then again, you and your friends were gossiping about them, so you weren’t much better.

Over the next few days, you tried to spend as much time with the DA group as you could. Midterms were coming up, so you split your time between studying in the library, classes, studying in the common room, eating, and studying outside while the weather still allowed it. You were also attending Quidditch practices, where Andrew had clearly been making more efforts to flirt with you.

Your Quidditch dinner was (now officially) set for the day before Halloween. Maggie had set a couple tentative dates before, only to have to cancel for one reason or another. Now, it seemed almost too real and too soon, with your quarterly exams coming up mid-October as well.

“Hannah,” you groaned, taking a break from schoolwork to walk the grounds, “why is school so hard?”

She laughed at you. “Give it a week, exams will be over, and all you’ll have to think about is a certain sixth-year asking you out.” Your friend wiggled her eyebrows as she said this.

“Is he still planning on that? He hasn’t mentioned anything to me.”

“You said he’s been flirting during practice though, maybe he’s seeing if you like him at all.”

“I suppose,” you replied with a sigh.

“I thought you weren’t sure if you even wanted to date him. What’s with the sighing and impatience?”

“If he asks, I’m going to say yes.”

“Well that’s a relief,” said a voice from behind you. Andrew had caught up to you, a huge smile on his face as he slung an arm around your shoulders. “I’d planned on asking you this more formally, but Kelli...will you give me the honor of being your date to this stupid Quidditch dinner.”

You smiled, heat rising to your cheeks, but replied with a firm “yes.”

“Brilliant.” The two of you smiled at each other for a moment before you broke the gaze and the silence.

“Would you want to get a butterbeer in Hogsmeade this weekend? The dinner isn’t for another two weeks, after all.”

“I would love that,” he said. “See you then.” Andrew walked backwards, winking at you before he turned away and started back towards the castle.

Hannah was watching you with a smile on her face that rivaled the one on your own. “You just got here and already you have more romantic prospects than me.” She sighed, clearly teasing you.

“There’s quite a few cute boys in the DA. Maybe you could make a move on one.” You nudged her.

“Maybe,” she looked at you. “Let’s go inside, it’s starting to get cold out here.” Linking your arms together, the two of you trudged back into the castle to study some more.

* * *

The week passed quickly. You hadn’t planned on a tutoring session that week, since it was exam week anyway, and were very glad to put off dealing with Malfoy until the next week. Come Saturday, it was time for your first date with Andrew. Your first ever, really.

Hannah was almost more excited than you. You assumed this was because you were also dealing with nerves, as you were excited for the day. All morning, Hannah was rummaging through not only your closet, but also Susan’s and her own to find a ‘suitable outfit’. You were concentrating on taming your hair, which absolutely refused to cooperate. Eventually Susan got frustrated with your groaning and used a charm she’d perfected outside of class to make your hair much less frizzy and poofy.

“Thank you!”

“You’re welcome,” she laughed. “It’s annoying enough Hannah’s throwing our clothes all over the room, I don’t need to listen to you and your hair fighting.”

“Wow, you’re  _ so _ funny Susan.” Hannah said, throwing a skirt at her friend. She then turned to you. “I have two options.”

About an hour later, you were free from Hannah’s makeover attempts and running about five minutes late. Regardless, Andrew was waiting for you in the common room, talking with Ernie and Justin.

“Wow,” he said, looking at you longer than he usually would. You supposed this made sense, as he usually saw you in your school robes, Quidditch outfit, or pajamas. Today, you’d put effort into your hair and were wearing a bit more makeup than usual.

“Hi.” You smiled, blushing slightly and biting your lip. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

“It’s alright.” Andrew offered you his arm. “M’lady.” You giggled, taking his arm and walking with the group to catch the carriages into the village. Andrew sat next to you on the way there, and the carriage was so crammed that his leg was against yours.

“So, if it’s alright with you, I was thinking we’d get our butterbeers first and then stop in at a couple shops.” You looked at Andrew as he spoke, nodding in response. When the carriage arrived in Hogsmeade, your friends left you and your date with some light teasing.

“How are you liking Hogwarts?” He asked.

“Oh, it’s wonderful. Different, of course, and sometimes I have trouble understanding your accents, but overall it’s great.” He laughed at the accent comment.

The two of you made more small talk on the short walk to Three Broomsticks. Once there, you found a booth and ordered your drinks. You flirted while you drank the sweet butterbeers, laughing and blushing more than you thought you had ever before. As you walked around the shops after, Andrew held your hand or had his arm around your shoulders the whole time.

Before you knew it, it was time to go back to Hogwarts. Still smiling and holding hands, you and Andrew walked into the common room and found all of your friends staring, clearly having come back earlier and now waiting for you. When she saw your hands, Hannah grinned at you.

You turned to Andrew, not wanting to walk into the fray and subject him to the questioning you knew you’d receive. “I had a wonderful time today.”

“Me too,” he responded, scratching the back of his neck. He glanced towards your friends. “I’ll see you tomorrow, yeah?”

“Yeah,” you replied. You went to step away, but decided to move closer and kiss him on the cheek first. “Thanks.”

Both of you blushing, you parted ways. When you got to your friends, they immediately bombarded you with questions. Mostly Hannah, of course.

“Guys, relax. It’s just a date. We had fun, and we’re still going to the dinner together on Friday.”

“Oh, speaking of the weekend, Ginny told us there’s going to be a little Halloween party in the Room of Requirement, after the feast. A kind of ‘we made it through half the term, no one died, and it’s Halloween’ thing.” Susan said.

“Sounds great,” you enthused. “Haven’t been to a good party since I got here.”

“I don’t think it will be a proper party, not with Umbridge roaming the halls, but I’m sure it will be loads of fun.”

* * *

Soon enough, it was Thursday again. You weren’t excited about going to tutoring and facing Malfoy, but this week's class was awfully confusing to you. You showed up ten minutes early, so Malfoy had no reason to yell at you, and waited. He arrived exactly on time, and wasted no time on small talk before tersely beginning to explain your lessons. The whole hour passed this way, and you got more and more enraged as it passed.

“Malfoy,” you said, your voice sounding somewhat strangled. “Can we at least talk about it?”

“Nothing to discuss.” He was gathering his materials as quickly as he could.

“I’m sorry. For what I said, and bringing up…” you swallowed as he shot you a dark look. “You know. I was angry, and I let that take over. I’m sorry.” You’d been practicing this apology and it showed.

The boy rolled his eyes. “Good for you.” There was sarcasm dripping from his voice. He looked at you again. “Can I go now? I’d rather not be here.”

You stared at him, furious once again, mouth open. Malfoy took that as a yes and strode out of the classroom with a small smirk on his face. He’d left you, once again, frozen. This time however it was out of fury, whereas the first time it was a mixture of fear and confusion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter like 3 times and I'm still not sure I love it. hope everyone reading this is having/has had a wonderful day!  
> guys I think I hate this and might not write anything more for it (other than the like one extra chapter I have done). idk I didn't plan the plot enough and actually ended up overhauling my original plot bc it was moving too fast and now I have crazy writer's block


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